By Brian Argabright
The 830 Times
It was one of the smaller fields in the event’s five year-history, but the chance to fish on Lake Amistad and escape the madness that had enveloped Del Rio the past week was more than enough for anglers in this year’s Border Bass Battle.
The sixth incarnation of the event paid out $17,000 in cash prizes Saturday at the Diablo East Marina at the Lake Amistad National Recreation Area.
As if competing against each other wasn’t enough of a distraction, anglers also had to deal with temperatures that climbed throughout the day, little cloud cover and low weight amounts that were characteristic for this time of year.
Prior to the event’s start, pro angler and tournament director Kurt Dove was asked what he felt would be a typical winning weight for one of the hourly weigh-ins. Dove said a two- or three-pound bass could take the top hourly prize of $1,000. A three-pound bass would have placed the angler into the money in all eight weigh-ins.
Anglers could bring one fish to the weigh-in each hour. The top three heaviest bass earned payouts for their anglers and put them in line to win the prizes for heaviest largemouth bass, heaviest smallmouth bass and gave anglers ages 15 and below a chance to win the youth division. The Del Rio Chamber of Commerce’s Special Projects Committee and Convention and Visitors Bureau coordinated Saturday’s event.
The top angler of the tournament was John Casperis of Del Rio. Casperis won the first weigh-in of the day with a 6.29-lunker. He also won the noon to 1 p.m. weigh-in with a 4.32-pounder. As for the 6.29-pound bass, it turned out to be the heaviest largemouth of the tournament and netted Casperis another $1,500 for a grand total of $3,500 won, and all for a $125 entry fee.
E.C. Whitehead Jr. of Medina won the smallmouth bass division with a 2.56-pounder. He weighed his bass in during the 11 a.m. to noon period.
Cooper Mills of Del Rio won the youth division. Mills was actually the first angler to weigh in for the tournament and grabbed the first lead with a 2.94-pounder. It last two more anglers before Casperis brought his fish to the scales.
Mills, 13, wound up finishing third in the 8 to 9 a.m. weigh-in, earning $200, but for winning the youth division he earned another $350.
“It was a little chilly out there in the beginning, but once it started to warm up we were able to get on some fish on some nice grass beds,” Mills said, adding that he planned on putting his winnings in the bank.
The next Border Bass Battle is tentatively scheduled for March 19, 2022.
The results for the tournament are as follows:
8 to 9 a.m.
First – John Casperis of Del Rio, 6.29 pounds, $1,000
Second – Melody Dixon of Del Rio, 3.86 pounds, $550
Third – Cooper Mills of Del Rio, 2.94 pounds, $200
9 to 10 a.m.
First – Kyle Maloney, 1.67 pounds, $1,000. He was the only angler to weigh in, and his bass was a smallmouth.
10 to 11 a.m.
First – Richard Martinez of Lake Hills, 4.04 pounds, $1,00
Second – Chelsea Jorde of Clovis, N.M., 3.45 pounds, $500
Third – Kelly Carter of Clovis, N.M., 2.17 pounds, $200
11 a.m. to Noon
First – Mike Guevara of Leon Valley, 4.11 pounds, $1,00
Second – E.C. Whitehead Jr., 2.56 pounds (smallmouth), $500
Third – Victor Martinez of Laredo, 2.51 pounds, $200
Noon to 1 p.m.
First – John Casperis of Del Rio, 4.33 pounds, $1,000
Second – Jose Diaz of Del Rio, 3.08 pounds, $500
Third – Mike Kelly of Amarillo, 2.98 pounds, $200
1 to 2 p.m.
First – Earl Armstrong of Del Rio, 2.95 pounds, $1,00
Second – Chuck Hauck of Bandera, 2.77 pounds, $500
Third – Mike Reid of Del Rio, 2.55 pounds, $200
2 to 3 p.m.
First – Al Salinas of Uvalde, 2.56 pounds, $1,000
Second – Jose Castillo of Brackettville, 2.39 pounds, $500
Third – Earl Armstrong of Del Rio, 2.03 pounds, $200
3 to 4 p.m.
First – Enrique Reyes of Kyle, 4.40 pounds, $1,000
Second – Eric Cavanaugh of Del Rio, 3.33 pounds, $500
Third – Robert Renfro of Del Rio, 2.06 pounds, $200
Biggest Largemouth – John Casperis, 6.29 pounds, $1,500
Biggest Smallmouth – E.C. Whitehead Jr., 2.56 pounds, $750
Biggest Largemouth, Youth Division – Cooper Mills, 2.94 pounds, $350
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Contact the author at drnhsports@gmail.com
